A New Chernobyl: Fukushima Nuclear Plant Reaches Full Meltdown

Reactor number two at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has gone into full meltdown, although this is not being reported by the corporate media. The core has melted through the floor of the containment building and is now releasing large amounts of radiation.

Richard Lahey, who was head of safety research for boiling-water reactors at General Electric when the company installed the units at Fukushima, told the Guardian on Tuesday workers at the site appeared to have “lost the race” to save the reactor.

“The indications we have, from the reactor to radiation readings and the materials they are seeing, suggest that the core has melted through the bottom of the pressure vessel in unit two, and at least some of it is down on the floor of the drywell,” Lahey said. “I hope I am wrong, but that is certainly what the evidence is pointing towards.”

On March 29, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his government is in a state of “maximum alert” over high-level radiation leaked from the plant.

Also on Tuesday, it was reported that deadly plutonium had leaked from reactor number two. Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency insisted the leak was not harmful to human life.

Sakae Muto, Tokyo Electric vice-president, said the amount of plutonium-238, 239 and 240 released into the atmosphere was on par with past nuclear tests. “I apologize for making people worried,” he said.

Record-high readings of contaminated sea water were found near the plant, Bloomberg reports. Radioactive iodine in seawater rose to 3,355 times the regulated safety limit yesterday afternoon from 2,572 times earlier in the day, agency spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said. Nishiyama said the radiation is not a threat because there is no fishing in the area.

Experts say a reactor in meltdown will stop at or before the underlying soil of the containment structure, but will release massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere and ground causing extensive damage to plant and animal life. This process is now underway at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Meanwhile, there appears to be problems with a second nuclear plant. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said smoke was reported coming from the turbine building of reactor No. 1 at the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant earlier today. The Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant is about 6 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

“Fukushima Plutonium Leak Comparable To Chernobyl Disaster”

“Three Raging Nuclear Meltdowns In Progress”

The Tonka Report Editor’s Note: Reports now are that all Daiichi nuclear reactors will be scrapped… – SJH